35

"How much farther are we going?" Jackson asked, panting as if his life depended on it.

“How much farther are we going?” Colton mocked. There was something so hilarious about a werewolf who couldn’t keep up with a human’s 5k pace. Even if he was making a bigger deal out of his physical fitness for the hell of it, Mara couldn’t help but the smile that spread across her face.

This was so normal. So mundane.

He was supernatural, yes, but he was also capable of being outrun by a twenty-nine-year-old actress. As if he could read that thought from the expression on her face, Jackson glowered. “We’re the same age. And you are NOT outrunning me.”

Mara glanced at his sweat-plastered face and tried spectacularly to hold her laughter. He was at least a stride or two behind her, so technically he was right, but it didn’t look any better. "I thought we were the same level of physical fitness too, but clearly not. Aren't you wolves supposed to be, like, experts at running or something? Do you need a full moon for the stamina?"

She wasn’t even feeling her first side stitches. She probably would on the three miles back home but for now, she was only slightly winded.

“My stamina is not the issue here,” he gasped, his face red with exertion.

Colton howled in laughter from a few paces ahead loud enough that the birds in the area took flight. When he glanced over his shoulder, Mara could tell the Fae were as perfect as they were said to be. There wasn’t even a lick of sweat on his brow. Somehow, it unsettled her more than Jackson’s hacking breaths. They both insisted on accompanying her for an evening jog, making a surprisingly good case for a lack of safety in the woods when dealing with a stalker who was also a werewolf. And Jackson only agreed to the security risk if she agreed to begin self-defense training.

Speaking of training…her new phone number pinged and she fought the urge to inspect it. Hopefully, it was the local hotel reporting good news on an opening for Althea. Otherwise, Mara would be fitting yet another person into her halfway dismantled house.

Jackson muttered something about humans who enjoyed running. Glancing down at her watch GPS, she snorted. "It's only been three miles, Jax."

"I don't normally run like this," he hissed, reminding her that she had yet to see his wolf. What did it look like? Something waist high that would be adorable enough to pet, or… she studied his bulky muscles and tall build. More than likely he would tower over her and bare his teeth. To prove her point, he glared at her body, particularly her legs as they easily kept pace. “Are you sure you’re fucking human?”

It was Mara’s turn to laugh. "Don’t go looking for excuses for why you can’t keep up. Colton’s not having a problem. Shift if you want, doesn't bother me." She grinned, wiggling her brows in what she knew was a direct taunt. "I've never seen a wolf up close. Are you like the size of a dog, or--"

"NO! And don’t compare me to a fucking dog," he snapped, air sawing out of his lungs. "And also, no, I'm not shifting."

"Sensitive much? Why not? It doesn't bother me, and if it makes this easier for you..."

"I don't want you to be scared." Jackson looked earnest but Colton barked another laugh.

"Mara grew up in The Underbelly. I'm sure she can handle some fluff buddy. Maybe it’s you that’s scared.”

“Bite me, Colt,” Jackson growled. But Mara didn’t want to let the conversation drop.

“Why would he be scared? You know I wouldn’t judge you…”

As Jackson lapsed into thoughtful silence, Mara looped around the trail and headed back toward home. Her legs were finally starting to ache and even though it was well before sundown, she still needed to sort Althea out.

“He can just be… unpredictable… in certain circumstances,” Jackson said at last. Colton started to say something but the words were interrupted by the sound of a scuffle. When she turned, the two males were throwing each other into tree trunks and tripping each other over the brush. Their laughter made her smile, and for some reason, she simply stopped running.

Mara dug out her phone while she waited for them to finish their squabbling. Damn, the hotel was booked as well.

“Shit,” she sighed. Althea wasn’t a part of her filming schedule initially but with all the new developments, it felt good to have at least one member of her team she could trust. Richard and Nadia were still calling and emailing but she’d long since stopped payment on their services. The emailed severance packages hadn’t gone over well either, it seemed, since neither one could stop emailing.

“What’s wrong, limelight?” Colt said, wiping a bit of mud and dirt off his cheek.

Mara snorted and watched Jackson shake the brush off his body like a wolf’s coat. “Nothing too serious. It’s just the hotel is booked with all the film crew and my assistant is going to have a hard time finding anywhere else. I’m undecided whether I’m going to throw Jackson off my couch or have her stay in the pool house.

“Hmm,” Colt said, leaving the conversation to fall off as they all resumed their run.

Althea was already waiting out front of the house when they got back home, but so was another, much flashier car. One Mara recognized with a lump in her stomach.

“Aaron,” she said with a grimace. He was mid-conversation with her panicked assistant when he spun. Those Hollywood charms turned out in a flash, an anxious Althea already forgotten as he focused on Mara.

Colt quietly circled the sports car to stand near Althea and Mara exhaled her relief.

“Mara, so glad you’re here baby,” Aaron said with enough flare to make Jackson stiffen beside her. She was still trying to catch her breath but the surprise of the situation made it even harder.

“I’m confused, Aaron, how do you know where I live? And why are you here, harassing my assistant?”

Her hands went to her hips as Aaron tossed a careless glance in Althea’s direction. “Who her?”

Colton’s arms tightened over his chest as he glared at the actor.

“I’m here for what we talked about… baby. Remember? I had a hotel booked up for a few days because I thought it would take you longer to get to set with your whole… situation… but you know, I’d much rather your bed.”

It sounded like Colton choked on his tongue and Jackson had gone so still Mara wasn’t sure he was still breathing.

“You’re leaving,” Jackson said without preamble.

“Hey wait a—” Mara started. She didn’t want Aaron in her space but Jackson wasn’t free to speak for her. As her security, his job was to make it work no matter what. If she wanted her co-star to stay, he would stay.

“Now,” Jackson snarled and it was Mara who whirled on him.

“Hey,” she barked. “Don’t talk to him like that.”

The flicker of green in Jackson’s eyes looked lethal but she didn’t back down. After a breath of silence, Mara turned back to her old flame. “Aaron, you can’t stay here.”

“But… I have to, baby. You and me, we talked about this at the reading, remember?”

“I remember telling you no… so…”

“When?”

“When I said the letters, N. O.” She glared at him and Aaron at least had the decency to look chastised as he swallowed and made another case for how he couldn’t stay anywhere else.

“And who told you how to get here anywhere?”

“You’re personal chef told me, actually,” he said with a laugh. “We got to chatting about what kind of food you like.”

Colton and Jackson took matching steps forward, so in sync, Mara almost thought they were related. But the growing horror at Aaron’s words stopped her from making a joke.

“Aaron,” she whispered, “I don’t have a personal chef.”